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Science Matters

In May 1883, the volcano on the tiny, uninhabited island Krakatoa, in what today is Indonesia, showed signs of activity. By summer, loud noises and glowing clouds were reported. On August 26, the volcano began to erupt, and the next day it exploded in one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in modern history.

Anything there’s a hurricane, a heat wave, or any other extreme weather event you’ll hear people ask: “Is this because of climate change?” While natural occurrences and extreme storms have been happening for quite some time now, new scientific processes are allowing us to see how much human caused climate change factors into these weather events.

Happy holidays, science fans! As you know between now and the end of the year we Americans will be doing a lot of festive feasting. From holiday parties to dinner outings with old friends or eating those traditional family meals, we’ll be doing a lot of consuming. Similar to literally everything else in the universe, traditional meals are subject to change as well.

Every November our nation takes an evening off from the regular run of things to gather with friends, family, and loved ones to reflect on all the things that we are thankful for. Thanksgiving is one of the largest holidays in the United States of America and like everything else it too can be viewed through the lens of science. Let’s take a moment to dig into the numbers behind this autumnal holiday. Listen to this Question Your World radio report produced by the Science Museum of Virginia to learn more.

The challenge of providing energy for a growing population while simultaneously not contributing to human caused climate change can seem like a tricky proposition. Clean energy traditionally has been associated with solar, wind, hydro, and other such green energy methods. As the planet’s energy needs grow we’ll need more creative approaches to meeting our energy needs. Some scientists have been thinking outside the box by using human commuter’s feet to generate power that is not only renewable, but does not rely on external variables like sunlight, wind, or water.